our 2005 safari water heater died...(leaky).....I would say we cleaned in at least yearly.....5 months it was our winter home....question is what have others found was the life of water heater...thanks for your input. jack

Mine lasted 8 years before expiring. I imagine it would still be going strong if the PO had not screwed up the winterizing. It was replaced last June just before I bought the trailer so I figure as long as I do my part it should last for many more years to come.

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__________________MICHAEL

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My '95 is on the original water heater, so 20 years there. We've replaced a few parts here and there (board and thermostat/ECO). Our B190 had its original 20 year old water heater when we sold the camper.

I think the life of the water heater tank depends mostly on the quality of the water where you use it. Some water reacts with the aluminum tank and they pinhole relatively rapidly. Some water and the aluminum simply don't fight.

Burners and controls last pretty well, but electronic ignition systems are more variable. Sometimes people just get tired of fighting the electronics and replace the entire water heater, even though it might only need a good cleaning and service along with a new circuit board. That can cost a good % of a new one in many areas, unless you are able to do it yourself. A new one can seem to be a better deal in that case.

Water chemistry plays a huge role in the life expectancy of your hot water heater. Unless you use distilled water (this is unlikely), city water is gonna vary from place to place. As a consequence, I flush mine out twice each year and I use an anode to help prevent corrosion.

Water chemistry plays a huge role in the life expectancy of your hot water heater. Unless you use distilled water (this is unlikely), city water is gonna vary from place to place. As a consequence, I flush mine out twice each year and I use an anode to help prevent corrosion.

Electrolysis eats away at the more chemically reactive anode more so than your aluminum tank.

Tom

Yet Atwood does not recommend an anode with their aluminum tanks for some reason. In fact they specifically state not to use an anode. Suburban water heaters with a glass lined steel tank do recommend them. Any idea why? I have wondered about it for a long time.

My current one is just 2 years old and the tank is leaking AGAIN! This is the third water heater in nine years that we have had the tank leak on. We do full time in ours but you expect the higher usage to affect the electronic and burner parts not the tank. We do have very hard water but with this tank we did use the anode rod. We also flush in the spring and fall when we connect/disconnect the heat tape. Does anyone have any experience using an RV water softener? Did it help with the water heater? Did you use one in the winter? At $500 a pop this water heater crap is getting expensive!

Yet Atwood does not recommend an anode with their aluminum tanks for some reason. In fact they specifically state not to use an anode.

Yeah, I know what they say. And frankly, it's my humble opinion that Atwood just wants to sell more water heaters. Recommending no anodes translates into more sales. That's why they're in business.

I've been a live aboard for 17 yrs. Without an anode, I replace water heaters at 4 yr intervals. My current Atwood is 9 yrs old and I've used an anode since it was new. Granted, I have to replace thermostats from time to time. But I haven't had to replace the water heater itself due to leaks.

Maintenance wise, I flush my water heater at 6 month intervals. When I do, I replace the anode with one I've previously removed and cleaned. The anode I take out gets thoroughly brushed on a 6" wire wheel (bench grinder). That way, anodes get rotated out every 6 mos. When an anode gets too worn out (and they will), I buy a new one and put it the maintenance rotation.

Distilled water will eat up the tank quickly. It is the nature of things to return to their original makeup. The water will literally pick up what it needs to try to regain that natural balance. Which means it will pull the materials from the tank. Deionized water is even worse.
The sacrificial anode in Suburban tanks slows the damage. Not sure if it has the right makeup to be that effective in an aluminum tank.

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